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Ryboth
“Amazing. On any other world, you couldn’t get within a standard kilom of that thing. Here, no one’s around to stop us.” –Last words of Gurborz the Junker (corpse segments still being recovered) In the Markayn Marches lies the ill-fated Ryboth System and within it, the ravaged planet of Ryboth. Once a vital forge world dedicated to the veneration of the Omnissiah, the planet is now a desolate, irradiated wasteland. Its doom came in the form of a deadly and destructive gamma ray burst, originating from the death of a nearby star. Ryboth’s Fabricator, Legarius Hershtolt, was aware of the possibility of this event via the observations of his Lexmechanics and Logis Prophesiers. However, they calculated that the planet would suffer no noticeable effects from this spectacular event, and Hershtolt even decreed a grand logi-cant to supplicate the Omnissiah for his guidance in the matter. Instead of missing Ryboth, as the analyses projected, the burst struck the planet with tremendous amounts of energy. Any individuals on the surface were instantly killed as the force of the burst peeled away layers of Ryboth’s protective atmosphere, and the vulnerable planet below experienced planet-wide increases in radiation levels. The manufactorums, though offering limited protection due to their sheer size and structural composition, were insufficient to shield most of their populations. Casualties were extremely high, and in many places, total, as the survivors desperately sought shelter and protection from the calamity engulfing their planet. Ultimately, it was the heavy amount of airborne pollutants, resulting from the industries of the Adeptus Mechanicus, that saved the planet from complete devastation. Following a cessation in communications with the thriving forge world, the Lathe-Covenant swiftly dispatched an expedition to assess the fate of Ryboth. When the Explorators arrived, they discovered dangerously high levels of radiation emanating from the planet’s surface, as well as a dense field of orbital debris resulting from the destruction of Ryboth’s orbital facilities. The leader of the expedition, Magos Explorator Toborias, eventually decided that the most efficient course of action was to wait and observe until conditions stabilized before beginning any reclamation efforts. 'Out of the Ashes' After over two centuries of isolation, the planet’s surface radiation began to at last decrease, and members of the expedition finally descended upon the planet’s surface. Once there, they found a world littered with the mummified corpses of those who had failed to reach the protection of the forges’ now crumbling inner sanctums. Initially, it was thought that none survived the radioactive purge of the planet’s inhabitants; however, the people of Ryboth proved more resilient than anyone anticipated. Whether through luck or adaptation, a number of the planet’s natives managed to survive the catastrophe, and even to rebuild parts of their shattered culture beneath the ravaged surface. The surveyors from the Explorator fleet simply designated them Rusteks. These hardy survivors continue to venerate the Omnissiah, and eagerly await the day he once again reclaims their world and moulds it anew in his wisdom. Most have also continued the Mechanicus practice of eschewing their biological bodies in favor of mechanical upgrades, meaning that almost every individual has at least minor augmentations. The surviving refugees were forced to scavenge what they needed to survive during Ryboth’s centuries-long isolation. Luckily the planet’s surface, though dangerous, was often accessible at night, while the intricate networks of maglev lines, warrens, and passageways beneath the planet’s exterior provided shelter and passage during the deadly daylight hours. These tunnels are murky and perilous regions, where other, unknown denizens and creatures escaped the radioactive fires to gradually evolve and adapt to prey on the unwary. Many channels throughout Ryboth are large enough to accommodate massive transports and gigantic maglev engines, meaning that untold horrors of unnatural size frequently roam the darkness with impunity. Some subterranean areas have even developed entire ecosystems and individual climates, due to the unique nature of the forges above and the events following the calamity. Many of the Priesthood of Mars managed to weather the apocalypse, and continue to wield power and influence amongst the remnants of the population. Some of these Tech-Priests seek to regain Ryboth’s former splendor through reconstruction or strength of arms. Others have forsaken the planet’s reclamation, seeing it as a waste of their time and an inescapable eventuality. These individuals turn their efforts towards more idiosyncratic pursuits, spending much of their time scouring the waste for whatever relics and lost pieces of Archeotech they can find. The use of servitors also survived the forge world’s destruction. Following the cataclysm, the inhabitants managed to salvage and repair many constructs, as well as acquire a few new ones from off-world sources. Others are the product of semi-operational servitor maintenance and construction bays that continue to function due to the efforts of surviving Artisans. These creations are crude when compared to those of other Mechanicus holdings, their robust designs combining salvaged and refurbished implants and simple neurological modifications. Regardless of their origin, these unthinking workers can be found in every settlement, and are as vital to Ryboth’s inhabitants as those of other forge worlds. Unfortunately, there are those inhabitants who feel that cooperation holds little value on a world such as Ryboth. Such individuals readily kill and raid other survivors in order to obtain valuable resources or unearthed treasures. Many lone members of the Adeptus Mechanicus have also begun to descend on the planet and ruthlessly scavenge any useful technologies they can from its ruins. Though the risks of these endeavors are often great, the rewards can be greater still. 'Empires of Ruin' Two of the most well-known surviving Magos on Ryboth are Magos Veserimus, former Master of Foundry MFS1249 and keeper of six of the Twenty Seven Rites of Initialisation, and Magos Gresix, the Lord of a Thousand Voices. These Magos have managed to acquire and maintain power bases within the ruins of the forge world, and both wield great influence over the devastated planet. Magos Veserimus has bent all his efforts towards uniting the scattered survivors of Ryboth beneath the proper rule of Mars. He is a staunch Magos Fidelis, and views the destruction of Ryboth as vindication of his beliefs that the Lathe Worlds have strayed from the true path. He attracts many followers and his augmented forces are a crucial factor in the reclamation of the lost world. Veserimus has even managed to restore a fraction of his foundry, and subjects once again toil to forge weapons of war beneath his cold and calculating guidance. Magos Gresix’s pursuits and ambitions are far less explicit than those of Veserimus, and he seems to care little for the ultimate fate of Ryboth. His domain, deep beneath the bowels of the massive Manufactorums of Forge Secundus, is unique in functioning almost exclusively with servitor labor. Those rare Rusteks encountered beneath this hive are unusually reluctant to speak to outsiders, and are careful to avoid being seen conversing in public. Magos Gresix himself is never seen, choosing instead to speak through his servitors, which have a curious manner of echoing each other when conducting business transactions for additional parts or subjects. No one is quite sure what Magos Gresix does deep in his dark lair, though it is clear that he trusts none save those slaved to his will. Whatever his plans, all who dwell near Magos Gresix live in perpetual fear of becoming unwitting participants in his designs. Of Hershtolt himself, there are few details following the calamity. Before the burst hit, Forge Primoris automatically locked down, while every defense system immediately activated and brutally massacred the trapped menials and Tech- Priests alike. Since then, no one has been able to penetrate the defenses of the forge to ascertain the fate of the Fabricator. The Lathe-Covenant cannot name a new Fabricator, as to do so for any reason other than death or heresy requires considerable many years of debate and decision-tree analysis. Explorator Toborias remains obsessed with gaining access to Forge Primoris, and is rumored to trade handsomely for information regarding its design and security protocols. 'Expunged' When the Great Storm struck the planet, many of the existing Ryboth-pattern servitors escaped direct exposure, and only suffered radiation damage to the task programming in their circuit-engrams. These mindless menials often had their programming partially erased or corrupted, leaving them with many incomplete sub-routines and protocols, but also reconfiguring many of their neurologic-patterns into heuristic directives their creators never envisioned. This fractured cognitive state left many unable to cope with the hostile environment they now inhabit. Those who did not perish now wander the wastes. Some mindlessly continue their task, but others roam the landscape seeking basic guidelines for existence, something they can neither identify nor recognize, and that would surely horrify the Mechanicum. 'Rusteks' Rusteks are the descendants of Ryboth’s menials who managed to survive the “Reforging” and the cruel barren wasteland that resulted. Scavenging crude or recycled bionic implants from across the wastes, these hardy remnants maintain their faith in the Omnissiah as they eke out a squalid existence amidst the ruins of the once great foundries. They hold cortex implants in especially high regard as connections to the knowledge of the distant past, and many are passed down from generation to generation within family groups. This practice often has unintended side-effects, however, as some implants have rather undesirable legacies. 'The Tarnished' The Tarnished are raiders and murderers who use their skills and knowledge of technology to further their own personal gain. Though they still worship the Omnissiah, these individuals beseech him for wealth and destruction instead of knowledge. They view the Omnissiah as a granter of power and fortune, whose divine will manifests in the destructive power of their weapons and the performance of their equipment. These ruthless degenerates frequently undergo rudimentary and unorthodox augmentations, using salvaged cybernetics and jury-rigged components in order to enhance their combat effectiveness. They believe such acts allow them to directly channel the Machine God’s favor. These barbaric marauders respect only strength and violence, with only the greatest warriors among them attaining positions of power. 'The False Fabricator' In 624.M41, the Lords Dragon formally accused the Forge Master of Ryboth, Fabricator Garamond, of tech-heresy. Garamond’s crime, according to his accusers, was that he had tampered with a number of servitors and cogitators, edging over the line towards Abominable Intelligence and into the tech-heresy of the Silica Animus. Garamond’s defense was spirited, and the evidence against him was weak. After four months of debate and an appeal to the High Fabricator, the issue was still in doubt. At the end, the judgment of the Lords Dragon would not be denied. Garamond was stripped of his position, but his influence, the length of his service, the sheer amount of knowledge and technology he had provided to the Calixian Mechanicus, and his eloquent defense had swayed his fate away from the Logicutioners. Instead, Garamond was to be exiled, sent away to the far Sargos Sector, there to toil with the common tech-adepts for his remaining length of function. 'Unique Equipment' Ryboth Tavel Suvival Kit A staple for many air and ground transports, the Ryboth kit is relatively lightweight and transportable (as many crashed pilots will need to quickly remove themselves from their wreckage to safety before enemy troops arrive). Typical kits contain basics such as fishing gear and animal snares, firestarter tabs, flares, compass and signal mirror, water purification tabs, antibiotic and detox pills, insect repellent, sunscreen gel, flextent shelter, limited med kit, exposure cloth depending on the projected travel locations, multitool, disposable handgun, a booklet on survival tips, prayer scrolls, vox hailer, combat blade, and more. Rations included are basic in the extreme but will keep body and soul in the Emperor’s Embrace until rescue can arrive. Ryboth kits grant a +10 bonus to Survival Tests, providing the tools (but not the knowledge) to aid the user in staying alive longer than he would otherwise. Good and Best Craftsmanship versions grant a +20 instead. WT 15kg, Rare 'Forge World Origin' Only those that are truly blessed can flourish on the surface of Ryboth. Still languishing in the aftereffects of the radiation storm that brought the forge world to its knees two hundred years ago, the remaining population ekes out a meagre existence in the hope that one day their world might be restored. Characters from Ryboth reduce their starting Strength and Toughness by 3 and reduce their starting Wounds by 1, but gain the Hardy and Resistance (Radiation) Talents, as well as one additional Fate Point. Category:Forge Worlds Category:Calixis Sector Category:Planets Category:Markayn Marches